Teachers Guide

The following are only a few of the stimulus points created by Wilson’s text and illustrations. Further suggestions for activities and discussion points can be found in the full version of the Teacher’s Guide- click here to download

MY MOTHER’S EYES: The Story of a Boy Soldier
BY MARK WILSON
Teacher’s Guide — Short version

‘I will do what must be done for I have learnt to see life though my mother’s eyes.’

William is nearly sixteen when he enlists during the First World War, and is accepted (like many other underage boys), into the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) and sent to the battlefields of France, via Egypt. His letters home from the front reveal how, for the boy soldiers, the ‘great adventure’ of war was both a triumph and a tragedy. William takes part in the Battle of Bullecourt, one of many such disastrous confrontations, and the book starkly suggests that he meets his death there.

This text can be used for a variety of curriculum areas, such as history, society and environment, English language and literacy, and visual literacy. This work should encourage students to read more widely about the war and its aftermath. It is a moving account of a universal soldier’s experiences, and of how many families and generations have been scarred by the loss of these young men and women.

History, society and environment

‘My Mother’s Eyes’ explores issues of Australia’s involvement in World War I in a way that naturally prompts class discussions and activities.

— During World War I, thousands of young people lost their lives despite the fact that they were under-age and should not have been allowed to enlist at all.
Activity: Research boy soldiers in WWI and their experiences. Research the recruitment practices used during WWI. Did the authorities willingly turn a blind eye to the age of many who enlisted? Were boys like William brave to enlist, or were they duped by propaganda and the pressure of peer expectations? The famous war posters of Lord Kitchener are a good starting point to prompt this discussion.

— The Australian Imperial Forces fought in many key battles in Egypt and Europe.
Activity: Research The Battle of Bullecourt, WWI, the battle that William takes part in on the Western Front. Research why both the first and second battles of Bullecourt were disasters for the Allies, and how they shaped the Australians’ distrust of their Generals.

— The character of the Australian soldier, the ‘digger’, is a key part of Australian history, as are the values associated with war such as courage, bravery or valour, cowardice and associated concepts such as mateship.
Activity: Anzac Day and Armistice (or Remembrance) Day are celebrated annually, on 25 April and 11 November, respectively. Research the meanings of both and have students discuss the associations they evoke, and whether we should celebrate them. The concept of the ‘unknown soldier’ for instance is commemorated, and even now the Australian government is still seeking scientific evidence to identify Australian nationals killed in the conflict. Is this pursuit a useful one in your opinion?

English language and literacy

Mark Wilson’s text is lyrical and sparely suggestive. The horror of war is hinted at, and the ending of the story is left to be surmised. The underlying impression given, though, is that William’s family will be one of the thousands torn asunder by the futility of war.

— The text contains literary quotes which suggest the futility of war from Laurence Binyon’s For the Fallen and John McCrae’s In Flanders Fields.
Activity: Read other sonnets and poems about World War One and discuss the impressions of war which they give you.

— This story is told in a combination of two kinds of texts. The main text is a third person past tense account of a boy’s enlistment in World War One. But this text is undercut by the series of first person letters home explaining his experiences, up until the whistle blows for William and the rest of the troop to enter battle.
Activity: What did these letters tell you about William’s feelings? What kind of symbolism is employed? What is the effect of the letters being part of the artwork, and not the main text?

— William’s letters are typical of the letters that young men wrote. They could not describe the horror and they didn’t want to distress their families either.
Activity: Read some of the letters and oral histories of people who fought in the war. How do primary sources differ from secondary sources?

— The language used is spare and suggestive. For example, the way in which William’s youth is described is evocative of the simple pleasures he enjoyed, rather than described with emotional regret.
Discussion: If the language had been more emotive, what would the effect on the reader have been? How effective is the ending?

Visual literacy

Wilson’s paintings are hazy and atmospheric, and are vital to the emotional tone of the story. They evoke a sense of nostalgia. The texts of William’s letters home are juxtaposed against the printed text. Layers of meaning are created through the interplay between the visual and written texts.

— The medium or style employed is oil painting on canvas. The paintings are in turn a mixture of detailed landscapes, moody portraits, and impressionistic abstracts of the chaotic scenes of war.
Activity: Try to create your own painting in this medium, depicting some scene suggested by this text.

— - Wilson’s use of colour and iconic images can also be analysed for their interpretive capabilities.
Discussion: Colours used in this book are muted and sombre. How does colour affect your interpretation of this work? Images of war are starkly defined in these pictures–poppies, barbed wire, medals, crosses etc. What do these symbolise?

These are only a few of the stimulus points created by Wilson’s text and illustrations. Further suggestions for activities and discussion points can be found in the full version of the Teacher’s Guide.

Download the full version of the Teacher’s Guide - Click here